§ Colonel Carverasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will define a surplus farm; how many such farms there are; whether these farms have to sell any surplus cereals; whether enough is left to them for their milch cows and lambing ewes; and whether he will investigate the complaints that this is not the case?
Mr. Hudson:The surplus farmer is one whose production of corn is in excess of the total supplies of concentrates required for his livestock on the ration scales allowed under the Rationing Scheme. The number of such farmers is not known. The surplus farmer is not compelled to sell his surplus, but unless he sells it or uses it for seed on his own farm or gives an undertaking that it will be disposed of in one or other of these two ways, he cannot obtain coupons to enable him to purchase other kinds of cereals of other concentrates that he may need. The Scheme provides, in the opinion of the committee of experts by whom it was devised, adequate rations 381W for milch cows and lambing ewes, but if any farmer can satisfy his county war agricultural executive committee that there are special circumstances in his case which result in his supplies being inadequate, he may on application to the committee, receive authority to buy additional supplies.